Game counter



D. McDONALD.

GAME COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1921.

Patented June 13, 1922.

1:01am uenoiunn, or LOUISVILLE, xmvrucxy.

"ems coum'nn.

To all whocn it may-concerns Be itvknown that, I, DONALD MCDONALD,

a citizen of the United States,'and a resident of the city of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have mvented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Counters, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to game counters and more particularly to a system for accurately tallyingthe game of bridge, it being adaptable however, with slight modifications, for the tallying of the scores of other games.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenient device wherein the score of the game and particu- 'larly the game of bridge, will be always apparent to the players.

Heretofore chips have been used to keep the score of bridge bypassing chips; from' one player to the other, generally at the end of'each rubber, but the intermediate score was necessarily kept with pencil and paper during the progress of the rubber. My invention obviates the necessity for any auxiliary score keeping means and makes it possible for any player to see how the game stands atany time. *3

In carrying .out myinvention, I provide a. suitable. number. of racks, corresponding to the numberof. players'in the game, which racks carr chips of diiferent colors'and different v'a nations. The valuations of the chipsare so selected that the majoritypof scores made in bridgecan be paid with a sin 1e chipv'and any possible score can be ma e of a combination of these? chips. The score is kept-by an interchange of chips becalculation of the number of chips in excess of or less than the number originally carried by the rack'will indicate whether the holder Y of the rack is a winner of a loser.

Furthermore, in the game of bridge it is of extremeimportance that thefpoints for game be accurately tallied. My invention contemplates means for indicating the points .toward game that a player may possess by the provision of a cube contamingdots from onef'to four on its several sides. The chipcarryi ostsof the rack are given values 1n the mu t ple of five, ranging from five to twenty. 1 Hence any amount above. the

App ication m d -1 amount of six which is the least possible game score in bridge can be indicated by the proper positioning of the cube upon one of the posts.

The particular structure and arrangement V of my lnventlon, together with the system of game tallying in which this invention is used will made more apparent in the accompanylng specification and drawings in which g. 1 is'a perspective view of the counter, 111g. 2 is a longitudinal section of the rec Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cube employed and,

counting chips used with this device."

In carrying out 'my invention I provide a rack havin' a base 10 having a multiplicity of upward y projecting posts indicated by the numerals 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively. Any number of these posts may be provlded'but in the illustrative example of F 1g. 4 is a plan view of the five sets of ,counter described herein and which, as hereinbefore stated, is particularly adapted for counting the game of bridge, five of such posts are shown. Thebase 10'of the posts is preferably made of celluloid, the several posts being of the color of the chips which each is adapted to contain. For instance,-

A number of counting chips 16 are used,

preferably the same number being provided for each post. In this illustrative example of inventlon, each post is adapted to receive six chips. The post 11 will have white chips of the value of 10, the post 12 red chips of the value of 30,the post 13 blue chips of the value of 50, the post 14 yellow chips of the value of 250 and the post 15 green chips of thevalue of a. 1000. The figures indicating the value of each chip will be preferably plainly displayed thereon, such as by stampmg thev same or inlaying in large figures.

Furthermore, each chip is apertured centrally thereof as at 17 which will permit each chip to be slipped upon its respective post.

The posts of the rack have each associated therewith, with the exception of the extreme left hand post avalue' in the multiple of five.-

The post 11 having the value of five, post 12 the value of 10, post 13 the value of 15 and post 13, with its side containing'3 dots turned the post 14 the value of 20. As stated hereinbefore, the post 15 has a zero value. The valuations of the four right hand posts of the rack are for use in counting the points for game. Inasmuch as the oints for game must be accurately tallied, provide a cube 18-preferabl formed of ivory or celluloid, which is dri led in three directions, therebyv providing suitable openings 19 which will permit the cube to be placed upon any of the posts with any selected side on top. The sides of the cube having a series of' dots 20 ranging from 1 to 4 and one or more blank sides -21. Therefore, should a bid of 2 of spades be made which causes a game score of 18, this score could be indicated upon the winners rack by placing the cube 18 upon the post 13 with its face containing three dots'upwardly, suchas illustrated in Fig. 1

ofthe drawings. The value of the post 13 is 15 which, with the cube which indicates 3, makes the total 18, the points secured by winning 2 at spades.

The system of tallying in which my improved counter is employed will now be described: f i I Each player is given a rack with six chips on each post, each rack being provided with an identifying letter, such as shown in Fig. 1 on the edge of the base 10'. It is of extreme importance that each player retains the same rack during the progress of play. In counting, all the points made both at game and honors are paid for; to the near-,.

est/ even 10. .For instance, 35 is counted as 40 and so on. After each hand is played theloser spreads, out on the table the chips representing each score made by the other side, whether at points or at honors. When the winner has acknowledged that all scores are accurately paid for, he picks up the chips" and puts them on his rack.

The status of each player relative to the number of oints which he has as against the other p ayers is therefore apparent by determining'the number of chips in excess of or less than six upon each st.

In counting. game as herelnbefore'stated, the cube 18 is used; When no points have been made toward game the cube is placed upon the post at the extreme lefthand side which has the value of; zero.

now, for instance, 2 of spades has beenmade giving the player 18 points on the current game, the cube 18 is placed upon the blue upwardly. The blue post, as explained hereinbefore, has, the value of 15 which coupled with the 3 indicatedbyi the cube rea s the score of 18 points made by the player. When a player scores more than 30 either in one or more hands he indicates that he has one game in the rubber or in other words, is game in, by laying a yellow win the rubber if a certain bid is made.

[any number between 10 In this posi- I tion the cube is considered out of use. If

chip which is of the value of 250 on the table near his rack. This yellow chip is conspicuous and thereby clearl calls the attention of the competing pl ayers to the fact that the winning player has the advantage of( one game in the rubber. This is important, inasmuch as a players bid is practically influenced by the fact that he or a competing player is a game in and will IVhen a game is made the points made toward game by the other side are cancelled by moving the cube back to the post at the 'lefthand end of the rack. Likewise when a rubber is made the player who is game in must replace the yellow chip upon his rack so as to indicate that a new rubber is started and that no one has scored.

When play is finished, each player credits himself with the value of whatever chips he has in excess of six on any post and charges himself with whatever deficiency there is be-' tween what he has on any post and six.

The utility of the chips contained on the extreme lefthand post which have a valuation of a 1000 arises when it becomes necessary to make change, or, in other words, for one player to purchase an additional supply of chips of a smaller value. A player who has less than three chips on any post must buy from another Iplayer who has an excess, when requested. ikewise, any player who has more than twelve chips on any post must sell chips to another player who requests it.

The values ven to the several sets of chips are of ti; utmost importance. The values 10, 30, 50 and 250 occur ver frequently inthe game of bridge. gonsequently, by using thenumbers 10, 30 and 50 4 and 100 can readily be made by the combination of two or three chips. Therefore, by this selection of valuations of the chips advantage is taken of the fact that many scores made in bridge can be pald with a single chip and any possible satire can be paid by a combination of these s hereinbefore stated, the score made at points or honors is aid for to the nearest 10. It makes practlcally no differences in. the ultimate result of a rubber or of an evenlngs play, but it facilitates the tallying of the polnts and obviates the necessity of chips for counting units.

Itis obvious that the illustrative example of my invention is particularly designed for the tallying of the game of bridge, butwith slight modifications, it may be employed equally as well for tallying other games.

In fact, without any variation at all in the curring between the multiple of five enables thisdevice to be used in many games where an accurate ndication of points is required.

I therefore reserve the 'right to modify my invention to this extent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A game counter comprising a rack having a base, a multiplicity of posts projecting from said base, a multiplicity of counting' chips adapted to be exchanged between the players and centrally apertured for reception by said posts, said chips being in sets of different values, each chip having its value indicated in figures thereon.

2, A game counter comprising a rack having a base, a multiplicity of posts projecting from said base, a series of exchangeable counting chips centrally apertured for reception by said posts, said chips being in sets of different values, each chip having its value indicated in figures thereon and a cube adapted to be positioned upon any of said posts, said cube being provided with dots on its sides whereby different points may be indicated by properly positioning the said cube.

3. A game counter of the class described comprising a rack having a base, a series of posts rojecting therefrom, a corresponding num er of sets of centrally ap'ertured chips adapted to be contained upon said posts, each set of chips being of a different identifying color and valuation, a cube. apertured sothat it can be disposed upon said posts with any selective side turned upward, valuation dots on the several sides of said cube, said dots ranging from one to four in number, four of said posts having successive valuations each of a multiple of five, whereby a number between the multiple of five may be indicated by placingsaid cube upon a post, the multiple of five valuation of which is next lowest.

at. A game counter of the class described comprising a rack having a base, five posts projecting therefrom,- a corresponding number of sets of chips, each set of chips being six in number and suitablyapertured to enable them to be positioned upon their respective posts, each set of chips being of a different identifying color and valuation, each chip having indicated thereon its value, each post containing a set of chips being of a similar color as the chips, four of said posts having a value from five to twenty respectively, a cube adapted to be positioned upon any of said posts, said cube being provided on its sides with valuation dots ranging from one to four whereby game scores between the multiples of five may be indicated by positioning the cube upon the posthaving the nearest multiple of five, the difference being made up by selectively displaying the correct number of dots upon the upper side of said cube.

5. A counter for use in tallying bridge comprising a base, five posts projecting therefrom, five sets of counter chips suitably apertured to enable them to be positioned upon said posts, each set of counter chips and its respective post being of a different identifying color, said sets of chips being valued at 10, 30, 50, 250 and 1000 respectively, the valuation for each set of chips being printed upon each chip of the respective sets, the four righthand posts having a value of 5, 10, 15 and 20 respectively, a cube adapted to be placed upon any of said posts, said cube having a blank side, a series of identifying dots upon its other sides, said dots ranging from one to four in number, whereby numbers in amounts which are between the values of the four posts may be indicated by placing said cube upon the post having the value nearest to the number to be indicated, the

difference being indicated by the number of dots displayed upon the upper side of the cube.

DONALD MCDONALD. 

